MOGADISHU, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Somalia's al Qaeda-linked Islamists on Saturday confirmed for the first time that their leader Ahmed Godane was killed in a U.S. aerial bombardment earlier this week and named a new leader, warning of "distress" to their enemies.
U.S. forces struck Godane's encampment in south-central Somalia with Hellfire missiles and laser-guided munitions on Monday, but the Pentagon did not confirm his death until Friday, saying it was still assessing the results of the airstrike. (Reporting by Feisal Omar and Abdi Sheikh; Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
